Covered seam and method of producing it



INVENTOR:

.'5 Sheets-Sheet 1 LA. s. RIVIERE COVERED SEAMS AND METHOD OF P-RODUCINGTHEM Filed July so, 1940 Oct. 26, 1943.

Oct 26, 1943- A. s. RIVIERE 2,332,931

COVERED SEAMS AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THEM Filed July so, 1940 ssheets-sheet 2 Us: 'll-1k 73 Pf6?- L 32 T5 3l l 3 I i l T a y@ y 55V- y.lf' B '7g L -7` i5-i @H+- @a H 2g t Hlm.IA

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omn 26, 1943. A, s, Awww.; 2,332,931

COVERED S'MS AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THEM aan www@ 1. ATToR/v Ys.

Patented Oct. v26, 1943 Albert S. Riviere, deceased, late of Chicago,Ill.,

by John F. Cahill, administrator de bonis non,

p Chicago, Ill., assigner` to` Union Special Ma?. chine Company,Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application July 30, 1940,Serial No. 348,372

(Cl. Ilz-269) 14 Claims.

`This invention relates to fabric joining seams, and has reference moreespecially to flat seams in which parallel rows of fabric penetratingstitches extend along the edge margins of juxtaposed fabricportionsunited `by the seams.

This invention is concerned with the provision of a knitted multi-Walecovering Web for seams of the kind referred to, whereof individual loopsare interlocked with individual fabric penetrating loops of the severaluniting stitch rows; and also has to dov with the provision of a simplemethod which makes possible the continuous formation of the coveringweb' concurrently with the seam proper.

In the drawings,

Figs. 1 and 2 are fragmentary views respectively showing the face andback of a compound, covered, flat seam conveniently `embodying theinvention.

Fig. 3 is a View partly in side elevation and partly in vertical sectionof a combined sewing and knitting machine suitablefor carrying out themethod by which the seam is formed.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal detail sectional View taken as indicated by theangled arrows IV-IV in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail View in cross section taken as indicated by theangled arrows V-V in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the `elements of the knittingmechanism of the machine.

Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 are fragmentary Views generally likeFig. 3 showing successive steps in the cycle of stitch formation inaccordance with the invention.

Figs. 14 and 15 are fragmentary views corresponding to Fig. 4 with theparts positioned as shown respectively in Figs. 7 and 13.

As exemplified in Figs. 1 and 2, the improved seam comprises fourlaterally-spaced longitudinal rows or lines I6, Il, I8 and I9 ofseriallyconnected stitch loops formed from separate needle threads T,T', T2 and T3. The stitch loops of the lines I6, I1 and I8, I9respectively penetrate the margins of juxtaposed edge-abutted fabricportions F and F joined by the seam. YAt the back of the seam a singlethread 'I'4 connects the stitch loops of the lines I6, l1, I8 and I9,the loops constituting successive cross rows being designated |6a, Ila,Isa, I9a kand IIb, I'Ib, I8b, I9b respectively. As shown, the thread T4extends transversely through the stitchloops of the successive crossrows, and also zig-zags back and forth between them, thereby forming 4aconcatenation by which said` loops are mutually interlocked at the backof the fabric.' In so far tures 4I for passage of the needles.

as it is described above, the seam` is identical withthat featured in U.S. Patent No. 1,214,563, granted to Chester McNeil on February 6, 1917.As herein instanced, the improved seam is covered at the front `facethereof by a weft-knitted selvage-ed-ged knitted web of correspondingWidth formed from another thread T5. Successive courses of the coveringweb are designated by the numerals 2I and 22, and the needle loops ofthese courses by the characters 2 la, 2 Ib, 2 Ic and 22a, 22h, 22e. Inthe course 2l, the sinker Wale loops 2Id, '2Ie and 2If respectivelyembrace the fabric penetrating loops IGa, Ila and Ia; while in thecourse 22, the sinker Wale loops 22d, 22e, and 221 embrace the fabricpenetrating loops I'Ib, I8b and |919; the fabric penetrating loopsIlband I9a of the outer lines` I6 and I9 being skipped. As will bepresently seen, the seam is formed incidentto concurrent `advance of thetwo fabric portions Fand F in the direction indicated by the arrows inFigs. 1 and 2.

The seam is producible commercially by a method which can beconveniently carried out on the combined sewing'and knitting machineillustrated in part in Figs. 3 and 4. As shown, this machine has a worksupport 25, a gang of four transversely 4'arranged sewing needles 2B,2l, 28 and 29 which carry the threads'T, T', T2 and T3 and which are Xedin a cross head 30 at the lower end of a vertical axis needle bar 3Iguided for endwise or axial reciprocation in a head 32 on the frame (notillustrated)` of the machine. The sewing needles' 26--29 move up anddown through individual openings 33 in the Work support 25, andcooperate beneath said work support with a looper 35 which manipulatesthe thread T4. The fabric being seamed is intermittently progressed onthe work support 25 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 by afourmotion feed dog which has the toothed portions 36 and 31 operatingupwardly through slots 38, 39 in said support, and which are opposedfrom above by a presser foot 43 having individual aper- At the top, thepresser foot 4U has a short shank or boss 42 whereby it is secured, withthe aid of set screws `113, to the lower end of a vertical presser bar45,

which, like the needle bar 3l, is confined to axial movement in the head32. Through suitable actuating mechanism (not shown) such as is wellknown in the art, the needles 36-28, the looper 35 and the feed dog36-31 are operated in properly timed relation to determine formation ofY the sewed portion of the seam, i. e.. the seam proper, hereinbeforedescribed.

guided in the upper pair of grooves is a plate- 55 with a centralaperture engaged VbyV an up standing stud 56 on a swivel cross head 51where-Y of the ends are engaged in the lower pair of grooves 52. In theinterval between the swivel cross head 51 and the slide-'55,ar spacingcollar 58 surrounds the stud 56;V and v`aicap screw 59 engaging axiallyinto the top of said stud serves as a means for holding these partsassembled. The swivel head 51 is recessedfcrosswiseas at 60 to engagethe butts El of three horizontally arranged latched knitting needles|52,l 63 and EllA which are'slidably guided inv parallel grooves formedina lug 65 upstanding from the bottom of the .presserfoot 4|l.`V Asshown in Fig. 4, the knitting needles 62, 63 and `64 are arranged topass back `and vforth' centrally 1 of `the' intervals between'the foursewing needles'26, 21, 2B and 29, and are adapted to be' actuated byreciprocation of the slide 55 through alink B6 from a moving part (notillustrated). of the sewing machine. The swivel head 51 is; providedwith a rearwardly extending arm v61 carrying a stud 68 whereof. theupper and lower ends engage slots B9 in the contiguous bifurcatedy endof an actuating member 1U.' Fora purposelater on explained, thisactuating member 10 swings the swivel head 51about its pivotalconnectionwith the slide 55 Vthrough motion induced by a moving part(not illustrated) of the machine. The office of vfeeding vthe knittingthread T5 is relegated tothe carrier in the form of an apertured finger1| at the lower end of a Vertical supporting stem 12. As shown, the stem12 extends .downwardly from a collar 13 at the lower end of`anoscillating sleeve 14 surrounding the needle bar 3| within the needlehead 32.

Thefcycle of stitch formationis as follows: In Figs.i'7 and 14, vtheknittingneedles 62, v|3 and 64 yare `advanced substantially to thesfullextent in theL intervals between the sewing needles 25-*29 which are intheir lowered fabric-penetrating positions; while the feed 1| is remotefrom the observer in Fig. 7 after. having been swung to one side (upwardin Fig. 14)' to lay the knitting yarn T5 crosswise offthe frontsofrsaidsewing needles at a level." where it can be taken "by theV knittingneedles. 'It is also to be notedin connection with Figs. '1 vand 14thatthe hook ends of the knitting needles'SZ-Bllare arranged at aslope,which arrangementwasbrought about by movement of the swivel headY 51anti-clockwise through lan angle of forty-'five degrees from thenormal'positionin whichit is shown in Fig..4: With the foregoing.accomplished, the. knitting .needles 6264 are bodily moved'in thedirection of fabric feeding from.n the `position of Figs. '1 and 14,throughthe positionsshown in Figs. 8 and 9,r to the position shown inFig. 10, with 'resultant drawing of the loops Zia, 2lb andZIc of acourse 2|V Vof the .knitted covering around the sewing needles 21,123,29.k By reason of the sloped arrangement. of hook ends off the lknittingneedles 62;-64, theloops 2 d, 2 le and 2 if are successively drawn"`fromthe supply lof. the thread .T5 with consequentavoidance' of undue strainupon said thread. After theknitting needles k|2'-6| have received theirfull: retractive movement; .the

swivel head 51 is swung back to its normal or true crosswise position totransversely align said needles for equal apportionment of the knittingthread T5 between the three loops 2id, 2|@ and 2 if. During theretractive stroke of the knitting needles 62-64 just explained, theneedle latches are closed by the previously formed loops 2|a, 2lb and2|c which are restrained by the rear edges of the openings 4| in thepresser foot 40, and, as a consequence, cast oif said needles as shownin Fig. 10. The last described action occurs shortly before the sewingneedles 26-29 are elevated to the full extent shown in Fig. 10, and justvbefore -the feed dogs 36 and 31 begin their active strokesy to advancethe fabric F with incidental pullingof the newly shed loops 2id, 2lb and2| c, as shown in Fig. 10, downward through the openings 4| in thepresser foot 40. In Fig. 1l, the sewing needles 25-29 are descendingwhile the knitting needles 62-54 are being advanced tothread'takingposition. InFig. l2, the knitting threadcarrier V1| isbeing moved toward the observer to lay the threadT5 across the knittingneedles SZ-Sll'forwardly of the sewing needles 26--29V while the lattercontinue-in theirdescent and penetrate the fabric F. In' Fig. 12, thesewing 4needles 26-291are atithe limit of -their downward movement andthe knitting needles162-64 at'the' limit of "their outward movement,Vthe swivel head 51 having been swung clockwise vfrom the normalposition in which it is shown in Fig k 4, whereby the hook ends of theknitting needles predetermine the reversely sloped relation of theneedle hooks shown in Fig. 15. With the immediately foregoingaccomplished, the/knitting needles 62-54 are retracted to form the loops22a, 22b'and v22o of a course 22 of the knitted'covering from the threadT5, while the loops Zia, 2lb and 26e of the previously formed course 2|are cast oi. Repetitions of the above cycle, incident to which theVknitting thread 'carrier '1l' is` swung alternatively crosswise of theseam from one sideto the other,will obviously result intheformation,'concurrently with the sewingf,lof the `weft knit covering atthe face of the fabric F with the selvage loops 2 ld, 22d respectivelyVat.' opposite ends of its successive courses 2h22.V

'Ihe'rneansV for moving the parts 66 andl in properly timed` relationwith the sewing instrumentalitiesof the'. machine to vcarry out theknitting cycle as above explained may be ofany approved'designand hasbeen omitted since the present application is concerned only with theseamfand the method ofits formation.V

Asr analternative, the covering may be sep-' arately formed as a tapeVand it'sfee'ding so controlled in an ordinary multiple needle sewingmachine vinsuch manner that the sewing needles are caused to penetrateindividual loops in vsuccessive courses of the' tape, with attainment ofexactly the same result in the completedseam;

It is-vto be understoodthat the invention is not necessarily limited tocompoundseams such as herein `specifically described where thev severallines ofV fabricv penetrating stitches are transversely connected at theback of the fabric, since, by suitable modifications'within'the scope ofthe appendedclaimsfit may be'embodiedin compound seams vwhereof thestitch lines are entirely independent of oneanother.

The improved :seam is 'particularly .advantageous in 'connection witharticles of wearing ap.- parel vsuch as-sweaters,.vests andbathin'gsuits made from knitted materials'.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. The method of producing a cover seam, which comprises formingparallel rows of fabricpenetrating stitches; and concurrently forming` aknitted covering Withloops which are arranged in crosswise-connectedwales extending in the direction of the stitch rows and causingindividual loops of such wales to interlock with `individualfabricpenetrating stitches of said rows;

2. The method of producing `a cover seam, whichcomprises formingparallel `rows of' fabric penetrating `stitches and mutuallyinterlocking themat the back of the searnby a concatenation formed froma separate thread; and concurrent-` ly forming a knitted covering withloops which are arranged in cross-wise connected loop wales extending inthe direction of the stitch rows and causing individual loops of suchwales to interlock with individual fabric-penetrating stitches of saidrows. i

`3. The method of producing a cover seam, which comprises formingparallel rows of fabric penetrating stitches and mutually interlockingthem` at the back of the seam by a concatenation formed from a separatethread; and concurrently forming a plain weft knit covering from anotherthread with loops which are arranged in Wales extending in the directionof the stitch `rows and causing individual loops of suchcovertransversely spaced needles from as many differ` ent sewing yarnsand locking such stitches at theback of the fabric; and, While theneedles are in the fabric, successively forming around them a course ofknitted fabric loops from a separate knitting thread with the componentloops of such course interlocking with the individual sewing stitches ofthe several rows at the face of the fabric.

5. A fabric-joining seam comprising a plurality of spaced rows offabric-penetrating stitches which are interlocked at one face of thefabric `and which, at the opposite face of the fabric, are

interconnected by a cover thread which is secured to the face of thefabric by the stitch threads and which is laid across the seam inopposite directions at successive stitches, said cover thread beingformed, at and between the parallel rows of stitches, into loops whichare interen- `gaged with adjacent similar loops of the cover threadlongitudinally of the seam.

6. A fabric-joining seam comprising parallel `covering at one face ofthe fabric with its rib wales extending lengthwise between the fabric-`penetrating stitch rows and composed of loops which correspond innumber to the stitches of the respective rows; and with thread segmentscrosswise connecting the loops of adjacent wales interlocked withindividual stitches of said stitch rows.

'7. A fabric-joining seam according to claim`6, in which thefabric-penetrating stitches of the respective rows are crosswiseconnected at the opposite face of the fabric.

8. A fabric-joining seam according to claim 6, in which the`fabric-penetrating stitches ofthe respective rows are formed fromindividual threads.

9. A fabric-joining seam according to claim 6, in which `thefabric-penetrating stitch rows are formed from individual threads; andin which the stitches of said rows are crosswise connected at theopposite face of the fabric by another thread.

10. A fabric-joining seam comprising parallel rows of fabric-penetratingstitches; and a weftknitted covering at one face `of the fabric with its`rib wales extending lengthwise between the fabric-penetratingstitchrows and composed of loops which correspond in number to the stitches ofthe respective rows; and with the connecting vloops of its interveningWales interlocked with individual stitches of said rows.

11. A fabric-joining seam `comprising parallel rows offabric-penetrating stitches; and a weftknitted selvage-edged covering atone face of the fabric with its ribwalesextending lengthwise between thefabric-penetrating stitch rows and composed of loops which correspond innumber to the stitches of the respective rows, and with the connectingloops of its intervening wales interlocked with individual stitches ofsaid rows.

12. A fabric-joining seam according to claim 11,` in which thefabric-penetrating stitches of l the several rows are crosswiseconnected at the y opposite face of the fabric.

